The 700 megahertz spectrums, considered as most valuable now, will be made available for mobile phone operators by 2016, according to a roadmap drafted by the telecom regulator.
The band will make the operators able to offer a better, less costly and more expanded mobile broadband service than now.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) initially set a three-year roadmap from 2013 to 2015.
But now it has been changed to 2014-2016 as the authorities already made one year late to finalise the draft. It has not been done yet.
However, a high official concerned said they were close to finalise the roadmap.
“We did mistake by making it too late. But it’s nearly done,” said ATM Monirul Alam, commissioner of spectrum management division and convener of the roadmap committee, said however.
But before making it final, BTRC will sit with high officials of telecom ministry and with the stakeholders and industry experts.
About 700 MHz band, he said: “We call it ‘digital dividend band’ and its service will be powerful.”
Monirul Alam said the minimum amount of spectrums is likely to be 25 MHz and they would need to be careful in the allocation.
It is the BTRC’s second roadmap for telecom industry while the first roadmap was formulated in 2008 during the last caretaker government with 20 action plans.
BTRC’s roadmap includes especially allocations of spectrum and issuance of licences.
This is to help the government implement its goal of building a digital Bangladesh.
The roadmap will also facilitate the industry investors to prepare their future business and investment plans, BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose said.
However, the telecom sector people wants more extended roadmaps like for at least a 10-year period.
“We need to have a very clear roadmap which should be for at least 10 years. It will help us forecast what’s going to happen in the industry,” said TIM Nurul Kabir, secretary general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (Amtob).
In September last year, BTRC made an auction for 2100 band spectrums where per megahertz spectrum price was fixed at $21m.
In 2011, the regulator sold spectrums at Tk155 core per megahertz from 800 and 1800 bands, official sources said.
Meanwhile, BTRC sources said the regulator is determined to set up a centralised monitoring system to prevent illegal international call termination and thus increase state revenue income.
The regulator’s engineering division made a proposal in this regard while systems and services division placed a proposal of about the Internet safety.
Mobile operators praised the decision to prepare a modern roadmap for this developing industry.
